My name is Jackson. I am an 18-year-old high school student who lives in the city with my parents, two younger brothers, and a sister.

  I am a coder, animator, and writer, but I haven't gotten anything published yet.

  I have never had a relationship but wanted to start one. Sadly, I will never have one, as right now, I am dying.

  This morning, I was walking to school with my best friend when we got caught in the middle of a gunfight with some gang or something.

  My friend pushed me out of the way but didn't make it out in time, and a bullet went into his chest. I tried to pull him into some cover and managed to call an ambulance, but I was also shot before they got there.

  When I woke up, I was in the hospital, but my friend didn't make it, and I was told I didn't have much time either.

  My body was severely damaged to the point where nothing could be done. Yet somehow, I am still alive and continuing, but I will not survive for long.

  Now, I am lying in a hospital bed with my family surrounding me. My mother is kneeling over the bed, crying her heart out while holding my hand. My dad, little brothers, and sister all looked at me with sad expressions on their faces, holding back tears. I can hear the heart monitor beeping slower than it should, and I feel very weak.

  "Don't worry about me, there is nothing that can be done," I say in a weak yet calm voice. "I am dying, and we can't stop it. I know I will sound like an old man saying this, but I will give you some words of advice that you should carry with you to help remember me."

  "First, Dad, be kind and patient with the others, and don't let anyone shut themselves off. That includes yourself. It will be hard, but it must be done. Remember to be someone the boys can look up to, and never forget that as long as you are a good role model for your kids, you will always have my respect."

  I turn to my sister. "Sis, be careful about who you date and don't go out with strangers. Continue with your projects and crafts, and reach for the stars when planning for the future. Also, other than my computer, you get to decide who gets my room and stuff."

  I look to my brothers, who are both under the age of 10. "Play nice with each other and don't fight over petty things. Play games and keep the family happy. Remember, your big brother will always be watching over you and never be mean to others. Also, if you want my room, you have to win a game of your sister's choosing," I say with a smile.

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  Lastly, I look at my mother, who is sitting on a chair with tears running down her face while still holding my hand. "Live on for your family and take care of them. I know it will be hard losing one of your kids, but don't ever close yourself off from them."

  "On my computer, you will find three files called Family, Projects, and Research. Save them to another hard drive and reset my computer, please."

  "Family has all the photos I have taken over the years."

  "Projects are programs, animations, and stories I have made or written. Keep them, publish them, or post them. It is your choice."

  "Research has the location and details of grandma's necklace that was stolen last year. I found it and have evidence to get it back."

  My mother looks up at me with wide eyes and hugs me while crying again, but with tears of joy this time. "Thank you... Oh, thank you, Jackie. I knew you were looking for something, but I never... I never thought I..." She is crying so much it is hard to talk.

  I hug her back. "It's going to be okay. Just always remember me and that I love you, all of you." I can see that all my family is crying now.

  Feeling more tired, I looked at them and said one last thing. "I will die here, so don’t forget what I have told you and remember that I will always be watching over you, even when I am gone. Thank you for all the joy I have had in this short life." I could hear the heart monitor beeping slower, and my eyes were feeling heavy. "Goodbye, all of you, and just remember I love you all," I say as I close my eyes for what I thought would be the last time.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~

  When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in what looked to be a library with wooden shelves over 100 feet tall. Looking down the aisle, the shelves went further than I could see. Millions of leather-bound books were neatly stacked on the shelves, and a soft red carpet lined the floors.

  "Wh...what the fuck?! Where am I?" I said. Suddenly, I remembered I was in the hospital and started checking myself.

  I am wearing the same clothes I had on this morning, and there are no holes or signs of damage. I checked for my injuries but saw nothing, as if I had never been injured. "Wait... what the hell? Am I dead? Is this the afterlife?... Or is this a dream?" I start looking around more.

  When I looked at some of the books on the shelves, I couldn't read any of them. I knew they were in English, but I couldn't read them as if they were in another language, even though I could tell they were English.

  "Okay, this is probably a lucid dream," I said while looking around.

  Curious and not knowing what else to do, I started walking down the aisle, trying to find someone or something that could tell me where I was.

  After a few minutes of walking through the library, I heard the noise of a book falling on the ground on the other side of the shelf next to me. I quickly walked around the shelf and found a man picking up a book off the ground.

  "Um… hello?" I said to the man.

  The man looked up. "Oh, hello, Jackson. You're here sooner than I thought," he said in a surprised yet kind voice.